Sequence Beyond: My Wife is a Mysterious Boss

Each name uttered was accompanied by a desperate wail or a suppressed curse.

As the number of available spots dwindled, the commotion among the crowd grew.

That dying, frenzied energy was impossible to suppress.

"Boss! I'm not convinced!"

Finally, someone couldn't take it anymore.

A tall, thin man whose name was called jumped out, his eyes bloodshot:

"Why me? I've shed blood for the gang! I've taken a knife for the boss!"

"There's definitely something fishy about this list! Are you using us as cannon fodder to protect your loyalists?"

"Exactly! Why aren't there any core members?"

"This is absolutely unfair! We demand an explanation!"

Once despair is ignited, it spreads like wildfire.

Questions and angry shouts rose and fell, and some people even reached for the weapons at their waists.

Those whose names weren't called breathed a sigh of relief, but they all watched coldly from the sidelines.

Human nature is as fragile as a piece of paper soaked in water when faced with life and death; it breaks at the slightest touch.

Fuminuma sat motionless in the chair.

He let the foul language pelt his face, his expression numb, but deep in his eyes lay a profound self-mockery.

This is Blackrock City.

On the chessboard of the bigwigs in the inner city, these outsiders and local bullies, no matter how well they do, are nothing more than pawns that can be sacrificed at any time.

"Shut the hell up, all of you!"

A loud shout erupted like a thunderclap from a clear sky.

Iron Fist, who had been standing behind Rotten Swamp, suddenly took a step forward.

His muscles bulged, his veins throbbed like earthworms, and he looked like a ferocious beast that had been enraged.

The terrifying aura made everyone gasp for breath.

"If anyone dares to utter another word to Boss Fuzuma, I'll crush their head right now and use it as a football!"

Iron Fist's eyes were red, and his chest heaved violently; he was clearly enraged.

"There's one last name left."

Fuzuma reached out and stopped the iron fist that was about to go berserk.

He slowly stood up, his previously hunched back straightening ramrod straight.

He looked at the tall, thin man who was shouting the loudest, and then glanced around at the indignant crowd.

"You want fairness?"

"it is good."

Fuminuma picked up the list, but closed his eyes slightly.

"The last spot."

"Black Mamba".

......

Quiet.

The once bustling hall, resembling a noisy market, suddenly seemed to be muted.

Everyone's gaze involuntarily turned to the corner.

There, Xie Qingtang was leaning against a pillar, holding a piece of deerskin in her hand, carefully wiping the short knife she never parted with.

She was wearing a tight vest, and the black choker around her neck made her skin look as pale as paper.

Upon hearing her own name, she didn't even lift her eyelids.

It was as if it weren't a notice to go to one's death, but an ordinary dinner invitation.

The tall, thin man who had been shouting earlier had his mouth wide open, now looking completely dazed, unable to utter another word.

Who is the Black Mamba?

That was the "eldest princess" raised in the swamp.

If even she's on the list...

The so-called "behind-the-scenes manipulation" and "protection of loyalists" are a complete joke.

"I watched Qingtang grow up."

The sound of decay echoed in the hall, trembling noticeably.

"If there's any foul play involved, I'll be the first to cross her name off! I'd be willing to trade all of our lives for it!"

"But this list was drawn entirely randomly from within the inner city!"

"This is the fairness you want."

Fuminuma crumpled the list in his hand into a ball and slammed it to the ground.

"Now, who the hell has a problem with that?"

"If you have no objections, go back and pack your things. I'll give you half a day to write your wills."

"Meet at the East Gate at 8:00 AM tomorrow!"

No one dared to speak.

After a long while, the crowd began to disperse.

Those unlucky chosen ones walked out dejectedly, like a group of walking corpses.

Only a few people remained in the hall.

Fuzuma seemed to have all his strength drained away, collapsing onto the armchair and covering his face with his hands.

"Qingtang..."

The voice that came through his fingers was choked with sobs, and it was heartbreaking to hear.

Outside Blackrock City, he was a fearsome figure.

But in the eyes of the big shots in the inner city, he was less than a watchdog.

Xie Qingtang sheathed his sword with a crisp, melodious click.

"fine."

She walked up to Fuzuma, her tone unchanged, but her eyes softened.

"It's not like I'm definitely going to die; this is also an opportunity for training."

"Opportunity my ass!"

Iron Fist could no longer hold back.

He ripped the lollipop out of his mouth, chewing it with a loud crunch, his face contorted in a ferocious expression as if he were about to devour a person alive.

He strode up to the rotten swamp and roared in a deep voice:

"Boss Fuzuma, since Qingtang is going, I have to count you in!"

"Let her go to that godforsaken place alone? Unless I'm dead, there's no room for discussion!"

Iron Fist may not be the brightest, but he's incredibly stubborn.

Anyone can die in this world, except Xie Qingtang.

Fuminuma looked up at the big, silly guy who usually only caused trouble, his eyes reddening slightly.

He wanted to curse, but he didn't know what to say.

He could only reach out and pat Iron Fist on the shoulder.

Just then.

A slow, leisurely round of applause suddenly came from the stairwell, breaking the somber atmosphere.

"Slap, slap, slap."

Everyone turned their heads.

Lin Bai, accompanied by a timid and short man, slowly walked up the stairs.

Lin Bai wore his signature lazy smile, exuding a sense of relaxation from head to toe.

He walked over to Iron Fist, reached out and patted the burly man's arm, which was thicker than his own thigh, as if greeting an old friend.

"Although he's not the brightest, his fiercely protective nature isn't unlikeable."

Done.

Lin Bai turned to look at the bewildered Fuzuma.

"Since they're both going..."

"Then why don't you sign me up too?"

......

"Are you crazy?"

The rotting swamp charged straight at them, lowering its voice:

"Lin Bai, are you out of your mind? That's the ruins of Yun City! Very few people who went there came out alive!"

"I know."

Lin Bai said calmly, "It's precisely because it's Yuncheng that I have no choice but to go."

"You know nothing!"

Fuzuma was so angry he wanted to curse, his voice trembling:

"This recruitment is mandatory; no one can escape it. But you're the only exception!"

"To protect you, Young Master Ji Yun went to great lengths to cross your name off the table!"

"Why? Because you're an alchemist! You're a rare resource! Staying in the city is where you can maximize your value."

"This privilege is something many people would kill for. Others only go to their deaths because they have no other choice, but you, holding a golden rice bowl, are rushing headlong into the gates of hell?"

"If you go, how am I supposed to explain it to the chairman, how am I supposed to explain it to Young Master Ji Yun?"

In this wasteland where human life is cheaper than grass, being able to obtain "immunity" through skill is itself a leap in social class.

In Fuminuma's view, Lin Bai's current behavior is no different from suicide.

"Special privileges, huh...?"

Lin Bai savored the two words and smiled.

Who would want to fight if they could just lie down?

But who can blame them when those damn promotion materials are hidden in that godforsaken place, Cloud City?

......